Although the first day of school hasn't started yet, here is an idea for down the road. When my Kindergarten class celebrated the 100th day of school, I asked everyone to dress like they were 100 years old. One of the girls wore rollers in her hair, one boy walked with a cane, another child wore glasses, etc. I wore a gray wig, a buttoned down floral night gown, and rolled down knee stockings. This gave a new meaning to "Old School." Most of the other teachers thought I was a visitor. We had a lot of fun!

Muffin pans make great sorting trays! Choose items you have around the house (buttons, colorful paper clips, hair accessories, candy, etc.) or around the classroom (pom pom balls, beads, googly eyes, etc.) and have your children sort them. Below I used my daughter's hair bows and barrettes. Sort objects by color, shapes, or sizes, the possibilities are endless.

Magnetic Mat
Your aluminum cookie sheet can be used for more than just baking cookies. Turn it into a learning mat by using magnetic letters and numbers on it.

Time Out Timer
When you have to send your little ones to time out, one question typically exits from their lips within moments. "When can I get up?" Make both of your lives easier by spending a couple of dollars on a kitchen timer. By setting the timer, your students will know when it is time to get up and will be less incline to ask you.

Whether you are teaching in a public or private school, in a preschool or daycare setting, or are homeschooling your Pre-K/Kindergarten children, I have developed lessons and activities that you can use every day for more than an entire school year. My "Teaching with Thematic Units" series is broken up into the following 4 units, "Teaching with Thematic Units (Beginning of the School Year)," "Teaching with Fall Thematic Units," "Teaching with Winter Thematic Units," and "Teaching with Spring Thematic Units." Together, the units total over 55 weeks of lessons!

Because I have taught Pre-K and Kindergarten in a variety of capacities (public school, private preschool, at-home preschool, and I am currently homeschooling my kiddos), I understand the importance of daily, hands-on, fun lessons that cover various subjects. My "Teaching with Thematic Units" provide step-by-step instructions for Math, Language Arts, Science/Social Studies, and Art activities at very affordable prices.